THE Toyota Yaris has been crowned the most reliable of the UK’s best-selling cars by an in-depth study.

Warranty specialists MotorEasy ran the numbers on the top 10 models to see which of them really delivers in terms of swerving hefty repairs bills.

And it’s the Yaris – the second cheapest model in the Toyota range – that tops the charts thanks to an impressive reliability rating almost double that of its nearest rival, the Ford Fiesta.

The Vauxhall Corsa, Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra make up the top five, with the MINI One, Nissan Qashqai, Volkswagen Polo and Golf, and BMW 3 Series further down the list.

To accurately rank the cars, experts at MotorEasy developed their own Reliability Index – a tool that measures dependability as an average of the frequency and cost of repairs for more than 1200 models.

In doing so, it reveals some of the hidden costs of ownership, as well as the likelihood of something going wrong. Each model is given a reliability score ranging from minus 100 for a high frequency and/or high cost of repair, through to plus 100 where there is a low frequency and cost of repair.

The index also includes model-specific data on the typical repairs needed for each model – including the percentage of claims for engine, gearbox, electrical system, suspension, braking system and fuel system repairs – and the average cost for each of these repairs.

The Toyota Yaris emerged with a score of 37, almost double that of the second-placed Ford Fiesta, which achieved a mark of 20.

A breakdown of the data revealed engine repairs for a Yaris cost an average of £84.46 and have a 5.56 per cent frequency of claims made. This compared with a BMW 3 Series which has an average engine repairs bill of £1784.70 and a claims level of 21.14 per cent.

The highest reliability rating of any car in the MotorEasy research was the Citroen C1 with a score of 43 – just ahead of the Vauxhall Zafira Tourer (42.5) and the Hyundai i30 (42). Visit www.motoreasy.com/car-warranty for more information.

MotorEasy chief Duncan McClure Fisher said: “The top 10 models have a combined 8.5million licensed for use on UK roads and for good reason – they are seen as dependable vehicles from trusted brands.”